The battle against
Dalang in
Where Winds Meet is notorious for its brutal difficulty. Encountered during Chapter 1's main quest,
"A Horse Neighs in the Forest," this compulsory boss fight quickly becomes chaotic. Dalang boasts a massive health bar, deals immense damage, and initially fights alongside the annoying
Horse Dancer. Success requires not just mastery of combat mechanics but also an intelligent use of positioning and parrying.This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of the optimal preparation, phase strategies, and move-by-move counters needed to successfully defeat Dalang and advance your storyline.
Where Winds Meet: How to Defeat Dalang
Pre-Fight Setup: Optimizing Your Loadout
Before engaging Dalang, ensure your character is equipped with the best tools for the job, focusing on speed and counter-mobility.
Weapon Arts (Main and Backup)
- Main Weapon: Nameless Sword: This is the ideal choice. Its attack speed is quick, its reach is solid, and its move set allows you to fluidly slip hits in between Dalang’s powerful attack windows.
- Backup Weapon: Nameless Spear: An excellent secondary option. The spear's longer range allows you to safely poke and deal damage to Dalang from a distance,particularly when you need to avoid close-range stomps or repositiondefensively.
Mystic Art (Mobility Focus)
- Core Mystic Art: Cloud Steps: Mobility is your greatest asset in this fight. Cloud Steps provides the extra agility needed to easily dodge Dalang’s devastating charge attacks, quicklyreposition to escape the Horse Dancer’s interference, and constantlyadjust your angle to maintain safety while still staying on theoffensive.
Phase 1: Dealing with Two Foes at Once
The initial phase is defined by the interference of the Horse Dancer, whoconstantly shoots poison darts from the sidelines. Your strategy hereshould turn this annoyance into an advantage.
Prioritize Dalang: Your primary focus must remain on Dalang, aiming to deal as much damage as possible to drain its first health bar.The Poison Trap: Do not worry about the Horse Dancer's poison darts—in fact, use them to your benefit. Position yourself strategically so that Dalang is always standing between you and the Horse Dancer.Passive Damage: By doing this, the Horse Dancer's poison shots will repeatedly hit the boss instead of you. This process, known as friendly fire, will slowly chip away at Dalang’s health over time, providing passive, helpful damage while you fight.Watch for Shockwaves: Dalang will use a mix of charges, jumps, and heavy stomps, many of which create shockwaves that you must react to quickly by either dodging or parrying the ground impact.Phase 2: The True Martial Arts Test (1v1)
Once Dalang’s first health bar is depleted, the Horse Dancer retreats, andthe fight becomes a straightforward, but much more intense, 1v1 duel.This phase requires you to master Dalang’s attack rhythms.
Mastering the Multi-Stomp Combo
- The Key to Victory: Dalang's multi-stomp combo is your biggest opportunity.
- Parry and Counter: If you can consistently parry the individual stomps in this combo, you will be rewarded with a clean opening at the end. This allows you to land a strong counterattack.
- Qi Bar Break: Repeatedly parrying and counter-attacking is one of the most effective ways to quickly break Dalang’s Qi bar, setting the boss up for a devastating finishing blow and ending the fight much faster.
Phase 1 Attacks and Counters (Applies to both phases)
Dalang uses several heavy-hitting attacks throughout the entire encounter:
| Attack Name | Description | Counter Strategy |
| Heavenly Horse | Dalang leaps high and slams down four times consecutively, each impact sending out a shockwave. | Dodge or parry the ground impact shockwaves on each of the four slams. |
| Regular Stomp | Four quick ground slams in rapid succession. | Requires quick timing; dodge or parry each individual stomp. |
| Charge Attacks | (Dalang Charge, Double Mare, Headbutt) The boss briefly winds up before dashing straight at you, often with a double head swing. | Anticipate the wind-up animation; parry the strike or dodge sideways. |
| Baji Quan | Dalang shifts sideways, rushes with a shoulder attack, then follows with a few stomps. | Parrying the initial shoulder rush is key, followed by dodges/parries on the stomps. |
| Gold Ship | Dalang leaps into the air and performs a "drop-kick" slam. | Avoid or parry; do not dodge toward the attack. |
| Horse-nado | Dalang spins to create shockwaves, then immediately charges. | Dodge the shockwaves first, then parry or dodge the final charge. |
Phase 2 Exclusive Attacks (Heightened Danger)
In Phase 2, the danger increases with modified versions of existing moves:
- Red Heavenly Horse: Functions like the original, but the final slam is followed by a glowing red stomp that shakes the entire area. Counter: Time a perfect parry on the red stomp for a powerful counterattack, or dodge widely.
- Gold Dalang Charge: Dalang glows intensely with a golden aura just before hitting you. Crucial: This is an unparryable attack. You must dodge it cleanly to avoid massive damage and stay alive.
By focusing on clever positioning in Phase 1 and prioritizing consistentparries against the stomp attacks in Phase 2, you will break Dalang'sdefense, allowing you to secure the victory and continue your journey in Where Winds Meet.
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